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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

What has State Rep. Amanda Price been up to?

Price is Making Moves

Freshman State Rep. Amanda Price has had a steady start to her first term in office.

Price, elected in November of 2010 after an impressive win in a crowded primary, is the Majority Caucus Vice-Chair and serves on the following committees, according to her website: Education; Energy and Technology; Local, Intergovernmental and Regional Affairs; and Oversight, Reform and Ethics. She represents the 89th District, all of which is in Ottawa County, replacing Arlan Meekhof, who went on to replace State Sen. Wayne Kuipers.
Price was the Chief of Staff to State Sen. Patty Birkholz and Superviser of Park Township before taking office in January of 2011.

Price's primary piece of legislation thus far targets the horrendous toll meth has taken on parts of Michigan.

According to The Grand Haven Tribune: "Price is the sponsor of House Bills 4749 and 4750 — which aim to clarify and streamline limits on the amount of pseudoephedrine available for purchase; log the purchaser’s information in a confidential, online, real-time system while at the same time maintaining consumer access to cold and allergy medicines that have proven to be safe and effective treatments. The bills would also update sentencing guidelines for those convicted of violating the new state laws."

"This bill attempts to prevent criminals from accessing a substance that is used in dangerous and criminal activity," said Price. "It places a limit on the amount of pseudoephedrine product a person can purchase and requires the purchaser to show a valid ID."

In the state Senate, Sen. John Proos has introduced a companion bill. The Proos bill requires retailers or pharmacies to consult an online system before selling products containing pseudoephedrine ensuring that the buyer has not exceeded a set limit.

"Together, these bills are a modern, real time way of combatting this problem in our communities while still guaranteeing that people who actually need cold medicine for its intended purpose have access to it," Price said.Price has already passed a resolution through the House and Senate, "urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to reconsider a recommendation that will cost Michigan residents disproportionately for energy transmission upgrades."

Price has also been awarded a fellowship from the Council of State Governments to participate in "the annual Bowhay Institute for Legislative Leadership Development (BILLD)." Those selected are State Legislators from accross the country who show significant promise and leadership potential.

"Thirty-seven lawmakers from the Midwestern states and the central Canadian provinces were chosen to participate through the competitive, nonpartisan selection process. The participants will travel to Madison, Wisc., Aug. 12-16 for the program, which is intended to develop leadership skills and assist lawmakers in analyzing public policy issues from economics to corrections."

Price caught the ire of some for supporting a measure that would prevent public entities from providing benefits to same sex couples, but mostly from people outside the 89th. Michigan Messenger described the vote this way.

Furthermore, Price has passed a bill that designates a section of US-31 the "Medal of Honor Recipients Highway." The legislation, sponsored by Price, passed the House with unanimous support.
"Supporting our troops is unquestionably one of the most important obligations we have as Americans," said Price. "Any way we can publicly recognize their sacrifice is just a small token of gratitude we can offer to show appreciation for the freedom they protect and guarantee for us."

Price used her experience in Lansing as a Chief of Staff to win the primary-to show she could "hit the ground running." It's clear she knows how the town operates and is working hard for her constituents -now it's time for her to put her legislative abilities to work on the heavy hitting issues facing Michigan.

First Monday of every month in Allendale from 8-9 a.m. at Murphy's Family Restaurant, located at 4963 Lake Michigan Drive.Third Monday of every month in Holland from 10-11 a.m. at Park Township Hall, located at 52 152nd Ave.Third Friday of every month in Grand Haven from 9-10 a.m. at Coffee Grounds, located at 41 Washington Ave. #180.